However, despite the initial hype train chugging along nicely, the album’s hoedown didn’t quite shake the ground as hoped. Industry chin-waggers point to a jamboree of reasons for this financial faceplant, including reviews as mixed as a questionable batch of moonshine, a shift in listener leanings, and some market curveballs nobody saw coming.
One big hitch in the giddy-up was the switcheroo from Beyoncé’s usual R&B and pop stomping grounds to country crooning, which might have caused her loyal fans to spit out their chewing tobacco in surprise rather than swing their partner round and round.
Plus, breaking into the country scene is tougher than a two-dollar steak. It’s a genre steeped in tradition where newcomers, especially crossover acts, face an uphill climb. Beyoncé’s detour from typical twangy themes might’ve left country purists colder than a well digger’s backside in January, while also not catching on with the pop crowd either.
